


Fluffy and Scruffy

by DrummerMax64



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Drama, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot Collection, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 10:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11461506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrummerMax64/pseuds/DrummerMax64
Summary: A collection of one-shots that explores the daily lives of everyone's favorite rabbit and fox duo in the big city. These little moments they share range from the romantic to the serious, from the humorous to the emotional. Zootopia is a remarkable place, and with all of its charming locales and fascinating characters, anything can happen for Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Read on and see what sort of happenings these two will get involved in.





	Fluffy and Scruffy

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: Hello there! Welcome to my first piece of Zootopia fanfiction, and my first foray into fanfiction writing ever! I’m really excited to try my hand at writing after being heavily involved in the community as a reader, reviewer and editor. A few folks have been wanting me to post my own fanfiction and see what my skills are as a writer, so I figured, why not? Thus, Fluffy and Scruffy was born! A one-shot collection that’ll feature slice of life moments of our duo as they live in the wonderful city of Zootopia. Where it goes is anyone’s guess, but I have quite a few ideas for chapters already planned out and I can’t wait to share them with you all!
> 
> My primary goal for this work is to test out my writing chops and find out what my strengths and weaknesses are. Hopefully, as more chapters get added to this collection, I’ll improve as a writer and give you guys a lot of enjoyable chapters to read. I had a blast writing this chapter, and as I get more comfortable writing these characters and the situations they get into, I’ll be able to churn these out at a faster rate.
> 
> Before we delve right into the chapter though, I want to first give my sincerest thanks to the people who were willing to look this over and offer edits and suggestions to it: ADeadMissionary, AngloFalcon, Berserker88, Blenderguy15, Cloperella, DarkFlameWolf, Erinnyes, Euphonemes, Lothar Hex, Mordecai1039, and winerp. All of them are fantastic authors, so if you haven’t checked out their stories yet, you really should! My thanks as well to the countless others I’ve interacted with in the community. All of you rock!
> 
> Without further ado, here’s the first chapter of Fluffy and Scruffy. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: Disney owns Zootopia and all that jazz.

It was a glorious Friday evening. The luminous sunset bathed the city of Zootopia in a warm glow and weaved a tapestry of vivid colors across the broad sky, creating a breathtaking sight that would have any onlooker crane their neck upward and marvel in awe. Rays of light bounced off the large glass buildings and soaked into the streets below. They provided the various mammals walking and driving around with a blazing source of illumination, one that would eventually diminish into nothingness with the arrival of nighttime. The citizens enjoyed the warmth while it lasted, appreciating the cool, steady breeze that accompanied it as they made their way back to their homes, weary from a long day’s work and eager to start the weekend with their loved ones. Cars honked, mammals traveled, and sidewalks shimmered. A perfect end to a perfect day. The usual hubbub of the metropolis notwithstanding, it was all, in a word, peaceful.

For the residents of the Verdant Meadows apartment complex, it was anything but...

“ _NO FAIR_! How’d you pull that off?!” Judy screeched. She gripped the controller tightly in her paws, almost like she was strangling it. The results screen mocked her through the glass of the big screen TV, and she stared in disbelief at her loss. She’d given it her all, put her heart and soul into that high-octane battle. One that ended in her partner’s favor, and he was absolutely relishing it.

“My, my, is the bunny getting salty? I’m simply playing the game like you’re supposed to,” Nick responded, his lips curling with a hint of smugness. “It’s not my fault you can’t keep up with my amazing skills.”

Judy sputtered, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to get the words out. “But you… and that… just… _AUGH_!” She threw the controller on the floor and covered her eyes in exasperation, wishing damnation on the insufferable fox sitting next to her on the couch.

Nick wrapped his arm around her small form and began rubbing her shoulder. Judy could feel the condescension drip off his words. “It’s okay, Carrots. You just don’t have what it takes to best me. I’m a natural.”

Lowering her paws from her face, Judy turned and glared daggers at Nick. “Bite me,” she growled.

“Oh, well, if you insist my dear,” Nick said huskily, inching his muzzle closer to hers and puckering his lips.

“No. Not in the mood right now,” Judy pouted, shoving his face away with a little more force than was necessary. Nick, unfazed, retracted his paw and put some distance between him and the seething doe, a laid-back smirk still adorning his features.

“I’d be careful if I were you, Fluff. Any more steam coming out of your ears and you’d make for a fine boiled carrot.”

Said appendages lowered to Judy’s back as she looked away from him and continued to grumble. Folding her arms over her chest, she rapidly flapped her right foot in the air, her leg being too small to reach the ground, whipping the wind in the wake of her fury.

“Stupid foxes, stupid controls, stupid game, and why oh why is he so _good_ at this…” Judy muttered under her breath.

The triumphant music celebrating Nick’s decisive victory continued to blare from the massive speakers in their shared apartment as she sulked, thinking up ways to get back at her boyfriend later for subjecting her to such a humiliating defeat. Why couldn’t she win just one turnip-flipping game?!

The answer was, of course, obvious: when it came to games involving strategy, Nick was a true master. Years spent conning other mammals out of their money gifted the fox with a quick-thinking intellect, a sharp wit, and deft paws. Whether it was sweet-talking them into purchasing an item for him or managing ( _more like rigging_ , Judy groused) a sidewalk gambling game, he knew how to hoodwink his unsuspecting victims and relieve them of their cash.

Those skills of his, naturally, extended to his aptitude for excelling at all kinds of games. Board games, party games, video games, even trivia games – all were a walk in the park for Nick. The astute tod knew how to manipulate and outsmart his opponents to not just beat them, but utterly _demolish_ them. It was no wonder why he was never invited anymore to Wolford’s monthly poker tournaments held for the other officers at Precinct One. He’d still show up though, to the audible, resigned groans of dejection from his fellow colleagues, knowing that they would be leaving a few bucks lighter. He made a pretty penny at the last one, and it still baffled them how he could read their facial expressions so well and know when they were bluffing or not. He was just that good – scarily so, even.

Needless to say, he was a real challenge, and Judy was having no luck besting him. It shouldn’t have been that big of a deal to her, but it still aggravated her to no end, mainly because she’d grown up with this game. They were playing _Zooper Smash Mammals_ , which was a huge part of her childhood and a staple among the kits on the Hopps farm. When she wasn’t actively pursuing her dream of becoming a police officer or helping out in the fields, she’d be crammed with the rest of her brothers and sisters in one of the underground game rooms and competing in intense matches with them.

It was rowdy, and fights would often break out outside of the game, but every time Judy was involved in one of the bouts, she’d always come out on top. _Always_. No one could beat her. She’d practice for hours with all of the characters, learn the inner workings and combos of each one of them. Her preparation and hard work paid off in the end, as she would mercilessly crush her opponents and leave them speechless when her fighter was the last one standing.

There was a reason why her siblings still called her ‘the Bunnihilator’ to this very day.

“Hello? Earth to Carrots? You in there?”

Nick’s voice halted her reminiscing, and she turned to him to see that he was still smiling,. “Yeah, sorry about that. Just… needed a moment, is all.” She paused. “I’m still mad at you.”

He chuckled. “I know. I’ll admit, I can be a pawful at times.” He set his controller in his lap and, with an exaggerated flourish, gestured at himself. “This body can only hold so much talent, you know.”

“Is that so?” Judy said, unimpressed.

“Oh absolutely. I can give pro league players a run for their money, so what’s one lowly bunny to me? These battles so far have been… dare I say... pretty lax.” Seeing an indignant expression form on her face, Nick continued, “You sure you don’t want me to put on a handicap or something? I’d be willing to give you an advantage, however big it’d need to be,” he proposed, his grin betraying how entertained he was by her reaction.

Judy puffed her cheeks out, bristling. “ _No_.”

“You absolutely sure?”

Silence.

“Say the word Fluff and I’ll do it, no questions asked.”

Nick could hear the subtle grinding of teeth.

“Last chance to get a leg up on the annoying and exceptionally gifted fox.”

The glower she gave him was sharp enough to pierce steel.

“Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug. “But let it be known though that I, Nicholas Wilde, gave a perfectly reasonable, albeit _slightly_ belittling offer to make things easier like a good and humble boyfriend should. It won’t be my fault though if you, uh, lose again, which is starting to look like a strong possibility, isn’t it?”

Judy sighed. “How do I put up with you day in and day out?”

“It’s a mystery to everyone,” Nick answered before resting back into the couch cushion and putting his paws behind his head. “You still love me though.”

“That’s debatable right now, Slick.”

“Nope, you love me. A hundred percent. Snark and all,” he stated, as if it was the most basic truth in the world. 

Judy gave a wry smile before turning away, still angry with him, although it was subdued a bit by his remark. Despite his infuriating smugness, she couldn’t deny that what he said was true. She loved him with all her heart – his looks, his charm, his abilities as an officer, his goofy sense of humor, and yes, even his snark was appealing. It sometimes made her want to throw him out of a window whenever it passed beyond a certain point, but it was who he was. It was what made Nick the mammal she fell in love with, the mammal she spent every living moment with, especially now that they’d moved into a new apartment together.

However, his playful taunting ignited in her an irrational urge to throttle him. Vengeance was her immediate goal. Not wanting to get distracted by the adoration she felt for Nick, Judy focused on the matter at paw. He still deserved to get a tail-whooping after all.

_There has to be a way to beat him_ , Judy pondered. _What can I do differently? Change tactics? Choose another fighter? Go for an all-out approach and hope for the best?_ Nick was a tricky opponent, but every foe had their flaws. All she needed to do was find one of them and exploit it. That would be how she could turn the situation to her advantage, not relying on some handicap to bolster her chances of winning.

_And it was supposed to be a relaxing evening too…_ They finished their shift a couple of hours ago and had planned on spending the rest of the day unpacking. They only had a few more boxes left, and after those were done they would’ve unwound and probably watched a crummy movie while snuggled up on the couch. It was one of their favorite pastimes to make fun of the film as it went along, sometimes muting it so they could improvise their own lines of dialogue to the scenes. Judy still remembered how hard she laughed at his ridiculous impersonation of Tommy Yipseau.

After changing out of their uniforms and into more comfortable clothing, they set to work, but upon opening the first box she wanted to start on, Judy noticed that her old gaming console, along with several controllers, was on top of the assortment of items inside. Wanting to take a trip down memory lane (and prove to her partner just how great of a gamer she was), she asked if they could play a few rounds of _Zooper Smash Mammals_ before dinner, to which he accepted. It was supposed to be a fun, nostalgic blast from the past. Judy figured it would be a friendly match between the two of them, nothing serious. At the time, she thought nothing of it, but she could have sworn Nick knew exactly how things would have gone from there, if the mischievous glint in his eye and the knowing smirk on his muzzle were anything to go by.

Match after match quickly turned into loss after loss for the bunny. Her russet-furred companion-turned-adversary kept on thoroughly trouncing Judy with each new battle, demoralizing her at first before infusing her with the drive to strike back and hopefully score a few wins. But it wasn’t meant to be – twenty matches later, and seeing his fighter hogging all the glory on the winner’s screen was starting to get really old.

Judy was determined though. Her competitive spirit hadn’t been totally beaten yet; she still had some fight left in her. Closing her eyes tightly and furrowing her brow to think more clearly, she came to the conclusion that she’d have to alter her play style slightly to have any chance of turning this around. She needed to be quicker, more subtle, sneakier. _Like him_. Her mind surged through options in front of her like a mighty river. She could feel her confidence building again, realizing that she’d have to fight fire with fire if she was to prevail. And the raging inferno within her, fueled by her aggressive desire to overcome great obstacles, would be more than sufficient to wipe the floor with him. Victory would be hers, for carrots’ sake.

At least, that’s what she hoped.

Re-energized, she leaned forward to plant her elbows on her knees and clutched the sides of her head, going into deep thought to rethink her strategy.

Nick watched as his grumpy bunny contemplated her next move, not worried in the slightest that she would defeat him. He was playing her right into his paws.

_This is just too easy_ , he gloated. _Pushing her buttons shouldn’t be this much fun_.

Unbeknownst to Judy, the trash-talking and jibes were all a part of his master plan. It was all in good fun, true, but Nick was riling her up intentionally so she would get irritated at his behavior. Getting irritated meant she would start losing focus. Losing focus meant making mistakes, which he would exploit. This would lead to her getting desperate, and thus more mistakes would crop up.

At that point, it was downhill for her. Hook, line, and sinker.

However, Nick would never want to make Judy truly mad at him. Annoyed, he was fine with, but it’d devastate him if he ever genuinely upset her. Currently, he was trying to straddle the line between being made to sleep on the couch and making Judy stomp around and put a hole in the wall from a thrown controller. Even he knew his jesting had limits.

That aside, Nick knew it was a cheap way to win, but it was smart, too. It was how he survived as a hustler for two decades: In order to succeed, you had to be smart. Attentive. Clever. Willing to do what it takes to win.

Or in this case, causing a hot-headed bunny to lose her cool.

Which, so far, he’d been doing admirably.

Nick’s smile grew wider as his ego delightfully inflated.

Plus, he actually _had_ experience with this video game of hers before. Well, an earlier edition of it, to be more precise. He was familiar with the controls and mechanics of the game series, having played it for many years at his childhood home.

His lean chest rising and falling, Nick decided to survey his surroundings while he waited for Judy to cool down somewhat and concoct her foolproof battle plan, scanning the living space that they now called their own. The living room was modestly furnished with a dresser for the TV, a couple of coffee tables, and the couch they were sitting on that Nick brought in from his old place. The red fabric was worn bare in a few spots, but it was still comfy enough to lounge on and take a load off their feet after finishing up a day of non-stop walking on the beat. Sleeping on it was tolerable, too. _Something I might have to look forward to tonight,_ Nick thought with a smirk.

Besides the furniture, several boxes were stacked up along the walls. The majority of them contained Judy’s belongings from her underground room back at the Hopps Burrow, which they visited two weeks ago to pack up her stuff and stow it all in her old shoebox of an apartment for a few days before officially moving into their new place. The rest of the boxes were from Nick’s previous residence, and the number of them paled in comparison to how many Judy had.

They already had a large portion of the boxes unpacked, but the ones remaining were still overflowing with contents, some of which spilled out onto the floor. Nick could make out a few of the objects from the orange beams of light that streamed in through the open windows of the apartment. He could make out things like one of Judy’s many stuffed bunnies and the DVD case that held his sizable collection of classic movies scattered throughout the cluttered mess.

_We could probably finish up and organize the rest either tomorrow or Sunday depending on how sullen Judy will be after this_ , Nick mused. _Either that or I’ll wind up doing it all by myself._

Nick’s eyes then travelled up to examine the walls and the myriad of pictures that were hung up around them. Most of them had Judy posing with members of her enormous family. Her exuberant smile flashed those pearly-white buck teeth of hers in every single one. A few chronicled her journey toward becoming a police officer, including her graduation ceremony as valedictorian of her class at the ZPA, and the remainder were ones with her and Nick, the centerpiece of those being the two of them at his own graduation from the academy. He could still remember how proud she was of him that day – he’d never felt that level of admiration from anyone toward him before in his life.

It warmed him to know that wherever he looked, she’d be looking right back at him.

Noticeably missing were any pictures of him with his family. It burned Nick up inside, but he made sure to hide those away the first day they moved in. He just wasn’t ready to share that part of his life with Judy. _Yet,_ he thought.

Aside from the pictures, a few other decorations and appliances graced the walls and pieces of furniture. For someone who was adamant about not settling down, Judy had a knack for décor and knew how to liven up the apartment with an array of furnishings in a way that wasn’t too bland or too showy. Nick was genuinely surprised by her knowledge of something he assumed was alien to her, but he was grateful that she took it upon herself to handle the design of their new place. He wouldn’t have been able to contribute in the slightest. He was a con artist, not a room artist.

Nick again wondered if Judy’s controller would become a permanent addition to the decorations on the walls when she eventually rage-quit.

_...Nahhh, she wouldn’t get_ that _angry_ , though he found himself immediately second-guessing his assessment when he saw her face screwed up in frustration and thought.

As he turned his attention back to his irate bunny, he sighed with contentment. Nick was elated that he’d finally moved in with Judy. His best friend, partner, girlfriend, and now roommate.

The apartment was theirs. Not his, not hers, but _theirs_.

He no longer had to wake up anymore to a spider web of leaky pipes crisscrossing the ceiling. He had a new home now, and there were two key differences between this place and his old, dingy apartment that let him know he made the right choice.

One, those pipes were long gone. And two, he wasn’t alone when he awoke in the morning.

Judy was still in the same position as she was before: hunched forward with her head in her paws. Nick thought it looked like she was brooding some sort of master scheme for revenge.

An idea popped into his head to reach over and lightly rap on her noggin with his knuckles to get her attention. It’d be funny, but it was also a risky move. She was agitated enough by her current losing streak that any attempt at physical humor would probably be met by a swift punch to the shoulder.

So, Nick settled on what he did best: being verbal.

He cleared his throat before speaking up.

“Soooo…” Nick drawled out. “Whatcha thinking there, Fluff?”

Judy craned her head up at Nick’s question, taken out of her deliberations. His relaxed, easy smile, not at all concerned about the outcome of their next match, made her scowl.

“None of your darn business,” Judy snapped, sitting upright so she could come across as more confident. “Why would you want to know?”

“Well, if it concerns getting my tail handed to me when we start playing again, then I’d like to know what sort of plans you have cooked up in that brain of yours,” Nick replied. Feeling adventurous, he added, “You wouldn’t want to hurt my poor wittle tail now, would you?”

Nick swept his tail out from behind him and positioned it so that the end was hovering just near the tip of Judy’s nose, making her eyes cross. He gave it the tiniest of flicks, and the strands of soft fur delicately grazed her nose and sent it into a twitching frenzy.

Miffed, she swatted the offending appendage away. “Nick! Knock that off!”

Nick gasped in faux concern and pain. “Ack! See? You’re out for blood!” He brought his tail back to him and wrapped his arms around it in a show of comfort, stroking it to smooth the fur down. “There there, the crazy bunny can’t hurt you now.”

Judy shot him a deadly glare. However, she’d be calling herself a liar if she said she didn’t find his antics slightly amusing.

She sighed, doing her best to keep her cool. “Nick, I’m not crazy. Just a little frustrated that things aren’t going my way right now. I should be doing a lot better, but, I don’t know…”

“You just don’t have what it takes?” Nick filled in for her, a teasing edge to his voice.

“Hey!” Judy exclaimed, cheeks flushed red. “I _do_ have what it takes, thank you very much.”

Nick laughed, slapping his thighs with his paws. “Relax, Fluff, I’m just messing with ya. Gosh, you are way too easy sometimes.”

Judy balled her paws into fists. “No, I’m not,” she tried to defend. 

“Yes you are, don’t try and deny it,” Nick said, resting his elbows on the back cushion. “That temper of yours is legendary. If anything you should embrace it, or go have it checked out or something. I think I’ll stop by Buffalo Butt’s office on Monday morning before the briefing and see if he’d like a partner for those anger management classes of hi-”

It wasn’t delivered to the shoulder as Nick had anticipated. Her jab landed right in the middle of his ribs.

“See?” he said, tenderly rubbing the afflicted area. “Case in point.”

Judy didn’t respond. She opted instead to turn away and crossed her arms over her chest in a showcase of defiance.

Her reaction caused Nick to sport a devious grin.

_All a part of the plan_ , he happily reminded himself.

And now, time for the coup de grace.

“Sweetheart?” Nick called out.

Judy whipped her head back around, half-lidded green eyes meeting purple ones that were aflame.

“What?” she muttered.

“Do you want to play one more round then grab dinner?” Nick asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check the time. “All this winning is making me famished, and it’s nearly… wow, 7 p.m. now.”

Judy frowned. It was indeed getting late, and they needed to eat soon, but she thought she’d have more time to turn things around and finally score a victory.

“H-How about two more go’s? Or three?” she requested. 

Nick shook his head before placing his phone on the table next to the couch. “Sorry, Carrots. Foxy’s gotta eat.”

“C’mon Nick, we can do more. I have a good feeling about these next ones. Pleeease?”

“No offense, but at this rate, we’d be going all night long. Would you rather starve to death instead?”

Judy’s ears flopped down onto her shoulders. She so desperately wanted to prove herself, to show that she wasn’t complete and utter trash at one of the games she grew up on. Panic started to cloud her vision. “But I- we- I need to…”

“However,” Nick held up a finger, as if he was considering an enticing proposition. “Why not make this last round more interesting? Up the stakes, so to say.”

Judy gave him an incredulous stare. She immediately grew wary of what he had in mind; she’d seen the impish look in his eyes before when he left for poker night at Wolford’s. Warning bells were clanging in her mind that a hustle seemed imminent.

“How so?”

“Well, I’m glad you asked, Cottonball.” Nick rubbed his paws together with glee before continuing, “Let’s make this a good old-fashioned wager. For all the marbles. Winner gets a favor out of the loser.”

The offer was tempting, and at any other time, Judy would have been ecstatic at the prospect of having her fox do whatever she wanted when she won one of their bets. Given the circumstances in this particular instance, though, hesitation stayed her tongue. Her odds didn’t look good, and despite how adept she knew she was, she was worried that she’d only repeat her earlier defeats.

Judy took a deep breath and mulled over her options, weighing the pros and cons of accepting. On one paw, she could obtain that win she felt she so richly deserved and end their playing session on a high note. Refusing would mean that that opportunity would slip through her fingers, and she so badly wanted to force Nick to do something embarrassing at the station like he had her do the last time they made a bet. Her cheeks burned red-hot at remembering the looks on her coworkers’ faces when they saw the costume Nick had her wear at last year’s annual Halloween party.

_I can’t even believe he put in the effort to sew together a bunny-sized elephant onesie_ , Judy thought with a grimace.

On the other paw, Nick could very well win again and put her through another mortifying situation like that. Which didn’t sit well with her at all. Not. One. Bit.

“So, Carrots, what do you say? Want to take another stab at beating the big bad fo-”

“Be quiet for a second!” Judy cut him off. “I’m thinking.” She hated how curt she was being with him, but she was high-strung at the moment, and any sort of jokes had the capacity to set her off.

Nick grinned, unperturbed by her snappy demeanor. “Does this make you mad? Because, if so, there’s no shame in calling it quits,” he said.

His last snarky remark settled it for her. If there was one thing Judy Hopps wasn’t, it was a quitter. She didn’t get to where she was by folding under pressure and standing down when things looked rough. She’d faced greater odds than this before.

Steeling her resolve, Judy fixed her partner with as menacing of a glare as she could muster before taking the leap.

“Yes, there is,” she hissed. “You’re on, Wilde.”

“Boy, that’s the spirit,” Nick replied, pleased that she both agreed to finish this once and for all and signed the death warrant for her fighter in the upcoming brawl. His mind was flitting through possibilities for what he’d have her do after he won for the twenty-first time. “So, terms? Any last minute changes before we jump right into it?”

“Nope, same settings as before,” Judy said.

“You sure? I was serious when I mentioned that handicap earlier.”

“I’m fine, Nick. Let’s just start.”

“How about items on? That could really shake things up, adding an element of luck to the fray.”

“Nick…”

“C’mon, Fluff, at the very least let me give you some pointers. I could teach you my secret fox-like ways.”

“Zip it!” Judy shouted, her patience at its end. “Get on with it already.”

Nick shrugged, satisfied that he was still successfully ticking her off so that she’d continue making grievous errors. “If you say so,” he conceded and picked up the controller in his lap. “You might want to get ready yourself though.” Nick motioned with his foot to the controller she dropped on the floor, where it was now resting underneath the couch.

“Oh… right.”

Sheepishly, Judy jumped down from the couch and got on her paws and knees before yanking the controller out by its cord. Dusting herself off, she gave a little hop and plopped back down next to Nick, who was happily observing her movements.

“Don’t,” she warned.

Nick held his paws up in a placating gesture. Another punch to the side wasn’t worth saying anything more on the matter.

Satisfied he would stay quiet for the time being, Judy began to mentally psych herself up. She looked down at her controller, the tool she’d wield to secure her victory, and closed her eyes. _I can do this. I have to. It’s all come down to this, and I will not let him get the best of me. I love him, but I’ll also love the look of shock on his face when I clobber him. I am the Bunnihilator. I won’t give up, nor give in. No, I’ll reach the end of this, win, and the next time we play I’ll start over and beat him again, and again, and –_

A snort of amusement broke her out of her inner pep talk, causing her to look over and see Nick staring at her with a toothy grin. “Really? You didn’t want to take my advice, but you’re desperate enough to turn to _Gazelle_ of all mammals?”

Judy froze. _Crap. Don’t tell me I was actually vocalizing my thoughts. Please don’t let it be true._

Sadly, today was just not her lucky day.

Nick laughed. “I gotta say Carrots, I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, I like that motivational song of hers from two years ago as much as the last mammal – well, not really, too upbeat for my tastes – but that’s just too adorable. Do you want an inspirational poster of her on the wall as well?”

His usage of the word ‘adorable’ produced a scowl on Judy’s muzzle. He was now dangerously toeing the line with his teasing, but at least he didn’t use the dreaded ‘c’-word. She didn’t know if she could stop herself from pouncing on him if he went that far.

“Nick,” Judy growled.

“Yes, light of my life?”

“Just start the game.”

He smiled. “Gladly.”

The stage was set, the bet was in place, and they would now engage in a virtual battle of wits, an intense game of chess where only one victor would emerge.

It was the ultimate showdown, thousands of years in the making.

Predator vs. prey.

Fox vs. bunny.

Cocky boyfriend vs. vengeful girlfriend.

Judy briefly wondered before their characters popped up on the screen if she was maybe making a bigger deal of this than it needed to be.

She glanced to her side, seeing that Nick was looking right back at her with a relaxed smirk.

Her face morphed into a set expression, turning back to the TV.

_Not if it means I can knock_ that _off his snout._

Judy tightened her grip on the controller, bracing herself for what was to come.

It was time for retaliation.

_This time, Judy._ This _time, for sure._

**Author's Note:**

> Post Author’s Notes: What will happen next for these two? Who will emerge victorious in their final match of the night? Tune in next time to find out! And if the chapter title doesn’t make sense yet, you’ll see in the next chapter. You’ll see… ;)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought of it in a comment/review, and if you liked it and want to read more, be sure to favorite/follow/give a kudos as well. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!
> 
> There was also a small reference in this chapter to another one of my favorite animated movies: How to Train Your Dragon. First person who finds the slightly modified quote from that movie gets a shout-out in the next chapter.
> 
> This story also has cover art, done by the amazingly talented Ziegelzeig! Make sure to go check it out on his DeviantArt page, as it is fantastic! Heck, while you're there, check out the rest of his awesome artwork too!
> 
> In regards to what genres this collection will focus on, it’ll be centered around romance, humor, fluff, and little bits of drama thrown in here and there. The rating for this will be T, but I have another collection in the works that’ll contain more mature sexual content and will be an Archive of Our Own exclusive. I want to get several chapters finished in this collection first though before attempting to write that kind of subject matter.
> 
> Also, I apologize if this chapter seemed a bit exposition-y for people’s tastes. I’m trying to set up several things in these first two chapters, such as the current state of Nick and Judy’s relationship, where they’re living, how their family, friends and coworkers view their relationship, etc. This won’t be the norm for future chapters, especially as I continue to get better at integrating all of the information into the dialogue and descriptions without relying heavily on huge data dumps.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for giving this a read! Cya next time! :)


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